Cardiac screening examinations, such as stress tests, have been instrumental in the prevention of heart disease progression and heart attack-related fatalities. Stress tests show how your heart responds during physical activity or “stress,” helping your internal medicine specialist identify problems with the blood circulation within your heart. They can effectively uncover potential blockages of your arteries—blood vessels that transport oxygen-rich blood from your heart to other areas of your body—that may lead to heart attacks.
However, even with the significant benefits of stress tests, there have been growing concerns about them being routinely performed among low-risk individuals. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force—an independent group that makes health recommendations to doctors—has advised against offering regular stress testing to people without symptoms or strong risk factors for heart disease. This recommendation has been backed by the American College of Cardiology.
Along with this caveat comes the bottom-line question: who needs regular stress tests? Let’s find out.
People Who Need Routine Stress Tests
Stress tests are only recommended for people who have any of the following risk factors:
· Family History of Heart Disease
While significant strides have been made to reduce the risk of fatalities associated with heart disease, there is still one area that remains elusive— genetics. Family history has been seen to be as leading indicator of heart disease as high cholesterol levels.
This is why your internal medicine specialist may recommend routine stress tests if you have a family history of heart disease. This is especially the case if you have a first-degree relative who developed heart disease before age 55 for males (brother or father) or before age 65 for females (mother or sister).
· Symptoms of Heart Disease
Your doctor will likely recommend routine stress tests if you have signs or symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD) or an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia). This is to help evaluate your symptoms and get an accurate diagnosis.
CAD develops when the major blood vessels that transport blood to your heart become damaged. Symptoms of CAD include chest pain, weakness, nausea, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath.
Arrhythmia occurs when the electrical signals in your heart that are responsible for coordinating heartbeats are not working properly. Symptoms of arrhythmia include breathlessness, chest pain, dizziness, and palpitations (for a very fast heartbeat).
· Preexisting Heart Disease
Your internal medicine specialist may recommend routine cardiac testing if you’ve had a recent heart attack or recent heart procedure, or you’ve been diagnosed with a heart disease. This is to monitor your condition, evaluate how well your treatment is working, or establish the treatment plan for you.
Your doctor may also require routine stress tests to determine the timing of cardiac surgery, such as valve replacement. If you have heart failure, stress test results may help your doctor decide whether it is necessary to do a heart transplant or other advanced therapies.
People Who May Need Stress Tests
People who have the following conditions are at a greater risk of heart disease. If you have any of these, seek medical advice from your internal medicine specialist if you would need cardiac testing:
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- High cholesterol levels
- High triglyceride levels (the amount of fat in the blood)
- Unhealthy lifestyle habits (smoking and excessive drinking)
- Sedentary lifestyle
Comprehensive Cardiac Testing in Irmo, SC
If you have symptoms of a heart problem or just want to be proactive with your cardiovascular health, come and visit us at SC Internal Medicine Associates & Rehabilitation for a comprehensive evaluation. Once we determine that you’re a candidate for a stress test, we will offer nuclear cardiac testing or stress echo test to help get a definitive diagnosis and/or come up with an appropriate treatment plan. We combine state-of-the-art equipment with the expertise of our providers to produce the best possible outcome. Our caring providers will also recommend strategies to help you keep your heart healthy.
If you want to schedule an appointment with any one of our internal medicine specialists, call us today at 803-749-1111 or use our online contact form.
